Don Kelly

Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly #12 talks with fans during a Pirates Charities event with lending hearts prior to a MLB game against the New York Mets on June 29, 2025 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

We are deeply saddened by the passing of 2025 Hall of Fame electee Dave Parker.

“The Cobra” was one of the fiercest hitters of his generation. The two-time batting champion and 1978 NL MVP won two World Series rings, one with the Pirates in 1979 and one with the A’s in 1989.

A 7-time All-Star with a cannon for an arm, Parker won 3 Gold Glove Awards as well as 3 Silver Sluggers. He was a lifetime .290 hitter with 339 home runs and 1,493 RBI in a 19-year career with the Pirates, Reds, A’s, Brewers, Angels, and Blue Jays.

Over the last several years, Parker bravely battled Parkinson’s disease. He was elected to the Hall of Fame last December by the Classic Baseball Era Committee and will be inducted next month in Cooperstown.

Parker was 74.

Pittsburgh Pirates special advisor Gene Lamont #54 and manager Don Kelly #12 stand for a moment silence for the passing of 2025 National Baseball Hall of Fame inductee & former Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Dave Parker prior to a MLB game against the New York Mets on June 28, 2025 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.